Hands-free personal communication devices are used in a variety of known professional and personal settings. In general, hands-free personal communication devices are useful for any application wherein it is desired to provide one-way or two-way communication while leaving the users' hands free to perform various other tasks. Hands-free personal communication devices are used by, for example, telephone operators and multimedia users who receive and/or send communications using the device and at the same time, use both hands for other tasks.
Headsets are a well-known example of hands-free personal communication devices. Headsets are typically worn on the user's head and have opposing speakers, one for each ear of the user, attached by a headband which extends over the top of the user's head. These devices may also include a boom which has one end attached to the headband and a second end that contains a microphone. The boom is often flexible and contains memory characteristic such that the boom is positionable into and out of various selectable positions.
A significant drawback to known headsets is that they are often uncomfortable to wear and can become entangled with or mess up the user's hair. Known headsets are also not as adjustable as is often desired and are typically rigid such that they do not fit a wide range of users having different body proportions. Because most headsets are arranged to be in constant contact with the user's ears and/or head, many users complain of head and/or ear discomfort.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/218,277 by the present inventor Christopher Gantz, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a personal wearable communication and speaker system that is wearable about a user's neck. The communication and speaker system includes a gripping neckband attached to a speaker housing and an adjustable microphone support arm. The gripping neckband is rotatable about an axis by 180° to convert from a left-eared configuration to a right-eared configuration, and vice versa. A pad is attached to the distal end of the gripping neckband relative to the speaker housing. In a particular embodiment, the speaker housing can be disengaged from its base and automatically switched to a headphone mode wherein the speaker is mounted on the user's ear.
The above described patent application solves many of the above described problems with known headsets. However, further improvements upon this device are still desired. For example, it is desirable to provide an improved device that is more easily adjusted to fit a wide variety of body types and sizes. It is further desirable to provide a device that is more easily adjusted between headphone and ear phone use.
As such, it is desirable to provide an improved hands-free personal communication device that overcomes the shortcomings of known devices. It is desirable to provide a communication device that is self-supporting and adjustable to fit individuals having different body proportions. It is desirable to provide such a communication device that is easy to put on and take off. It is desirable to provide a hands-free communication device which is adjustable to fit either a left or right side of the user. It is desirable to provide such a device that eliminates head and ear discomfort often associated with many known headsets. It is further desirable to provide such a communication device that maintains or improves the acoustic output and input quality and performance of current known devices.